diff --git a/core/site.go b/core/site.go
index 48a8dbbc7..63dc02bfe 100644
--- a/core/site.go
+++ b/core/site.go
@@ -496,10 +496,18 @@ func (site *Site) collectMeters(key string, meters []config.Device[api.Meter]) [
 	fun := func(i int, dev config.Device[api.Meter]) {
 		meter := dev.Instance()
 
+		props := deviceProperties(dev)
+		mm[i] = types.Measurement{
+			Name:  dev.Config().Name,
+			Title: props.Title,
+			Icon:  props.Icon,
+		}
+
 		// power
 		var b bytes.Buffer
 		power, err := backoff.RetryWithData(meter.CurrentPower, modbus.Backoff())
 		if err == nil {
+			mm[i].Power = power
 			site.log.DEBUG.Printf("%s %d power: %.0fW", key, i+1, power)
 		} else {
 			if b.Len() > 0 {
@@ -509,22 +517,13 @@ func (site *Site) collectMeters(key string, meters []config.Device[api.Meter]) [
 		}
 
 		// energy (production)
-		var energy float64
 		if m, ok := api.Cap[api.MeterEnergy](meter); err == nil && ok {
-			energy, err = m.TotalEnergy()
-			if err != nil {
+			if f, err := m.TotalEnergy(); err == nil {
+				mm[i].Energy = &f
+			} else {
 				site.log.ERROR.Printf("%s %d energy: %v", key, i+1, err)
 			}
 		}
-
-		props := deviceProperties(dev)
-		mm[i] = types.Measurement{
-			Name:   dev.Config().Name,
-			Title:  props.Title,
-			Icon:   props.Icon,
-			Power:  power,
-			Energy: energy,
-		}
 	}
 
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
@@ -570,7 +569,10 @@ func (site *Site) updatePvMeters() {
 		return math.Abs(m.ExcessDCPower)
 	})
 	totalEnergy := lo.SumBy(mm, func(m types.Measurement) float64 {
-		return m.Energy
+		if m.Energy == nil {
+			return 0
+		}
+		return *m.Energy
 	})
 
 	if len(site.pvMeters) > 1 {
@@ -589,13 +591,7 @@ func (site *Site) updatePvMeters() {
 	// persist per-meter PV energy slots (used for history and forecast scaling)
 	for i, dev := range site.pvMeters {
 		c := site.collectors[dev.Config().Name]
-
-		var importEnergy *float64
-		if mm[i].Energy > 0 {
-			importEnergy = &mm[i].Energy
-		}
-
-		if err := c.AddEnergy(importEnergy, nil, mm[i].Power); err != nil {
+		if err := c.AddEnergy(mm[i].Energy, nil, mm[i].Power); err != nil {
 			site.log.ERROR.Printf("persist pv %d energy: %v", i+1, err)
 		}
 	}
@@ -652,7 +648,10 @@ func (site *Site) updateBatteryMeters() {
 		return m.Power
 	})
 	site.battery.Energy = lo.SumBy(mm, func(m types.Measurement) float64 {
-		return m.Energy
+		if m.Energy == nil {
+			return 0
+		}
+		return *m.Energy
 	})
 
 	if len(site.batteryMeters) > 1 {
@@ -669,11 +668,7 @@ func (site *Site) updateBatteryMeters() {
 		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		var exportEnergy *float64
-		if mm[i].Energy > 0 {
-			exportEnergy = &mm[i].Energy
-		}
-		if err := c.AddEnergy(nil, exportEnergy, -mm[i].Power); err != nil {
+		if err := c.AddEnergy(nil, mm[i].Energy, -mm[i].Power); err != nil {
 			site.log.ERROR.Printf("persist battery %d energy: %v", i+1, err)
 		}
 	}
@@ -708,11 +703,7 @@ func (site *Site) addMeterEnergy(meters []config.Device[api.Meter], mm []types.M
 		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		var importEnergy *float64
-		if mm[i].Energy > 0 {
-			importEnergy = &mm[i].Energy
-		}
-		if err := c.AddEnergy(importEnergy, nil, mm[i].Power); err != nil {
+		if err := c.AddEnergy(mm[i].Energy, nil, mm[i].Power); err != nil {
 			site.log.ERROR.Printf("persist meter %s energy: %v", ref, err)
 		}
 	}
@@ -790,18 +781,16 @@ func (site *Site) updateGridMeter() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// grid energy (import)
-	var importEnergy *float64
+	// grid energy (import); nil when the device has no MeterEnergy capability or the read fails
 	if energyMeter, ok := api.Cap[api.MeterEnergy](site.gridMeter); ok {
 		if f, err := energyMeter.TotalEnergy(); err == nil {
-			mm.Energy = f
-			importEnergy = &f
+			mm.Energy = &f
 		} else {
 			site.log.ERROR.Printf("grid energy: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
 
-	site.collectors[site.Meters.GridMeterRef].AddEnergy(importEnergy, nil, mm.Power)
+	site.collectors[site.Meters.GridMeterRef].AddEnergy(mm.Energy, nil, mm.Power)
 
 	site.publish(keys.Grid, mm)
 
diff --git a/core/types/types.go b/core/types/types.go
index e4a808a67..fe3b3e724 100644
--- a/core/types/types.go
+++ b/core/types/types.go
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ type Measurement struct {
 	Title         string    `json:"title,omitempty"`
 	Icon          string    `json:"icon,omitempty"`
 	Power         float64   `json:"power"`
-	Energy        float64   `json:"energy,omitempty"`
-	ReturnEnergy  float64   `json:"returnEnergy,omitempty"`
+	Energy        *float64  `json:"energy,omitempty"`
+	ReturnEnergy  *float64  `json:"returnEnergy,omitempty"`
 	Powers        []float64 `json:"powers,omitempty"`
 	Currents      []float64 `json:"currents,omitempty"`
 	ExcessDCPower float64   `json:"excessdcpower,omitempty"`
diff --git a/server/mqtt_test.go b/server/mqtt_test.go
index c262c5a21..e9def0cda 100644
--- a/server/mqtt_test.go
+++ b/server/mqtt_test.go
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func (suite *mqttSuite) TestMeasurement() {
 	suite.Equal(topics, suite.topics, "topics")
 	suite.Equal([]string{"", "", "", "0", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""}, suite.payloads, "empty payloads")
 
-	suite.publish("test", false, types.Measurement{Energy: 1})
+	suite.publish("test", false, types.Measurement{Energy: new(1.0)})
 	suite.Equal(topics, suite.topics, "topics")
 	suite.Equal([]string{"", "", "", "0", "1", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""}, suite.payloads, "energy payloads")